European Union: Parliamentary Scrutiny

William Cash: To ask the Leader of the House what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on compliance by Ministers with the terms of the Resolution of the House of 17 November 1998 on the scrutiny of European business, with particular reference to agreements given in  (a) the Council of Ministers and  (b) the European Council to any proposals which are still subject to scrutiny by the House under the terms of the Resolution; and what steps he plans to take to ensure that the House is notified of the Government's position on proposals still subject to scrutiny, with particular reference to (i) the decision of the extraordinary meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) of 9 May 2010 in respect of EU Document 9606/10, proposed Council Regulation establishing a European financial stabilisation mechanism, (ii) the decision at the ECOFIN meeting of 18 May 2010 in respect of EU Document 6795/3/10, proposed Directive on Alternative Investment Fund Managers and (iii) the Commission Communication of 26 May 2010, COM(2010) 254, on bank resolution funds; and if he will make a statement.

George Young: I have had no discussions about the specific documents to which the hon. Gentleman refers. The Government are committed to complying with the terms of the House's Scrutiny Reserve Resolution and looks forward to working closely and constructively with the European Scrutiny Committee when it is established.

Members: Security

Bob Russell: To ask the Leader of the House if he will bring forward proposals for funding from the public purse for hon. and right hon. Members to provide such security measures at their constituency offices of his and right hon. Members as police forces may advise; and if he will make a statement.

George Young: The payment of allowances to hon. Members is now a matter for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Walsall North (Mr Winnick) on Wednesday 2 June 2010,  Official Report, column 45W. There is no ministerial responsibility for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many special advisers  (a) he,  (b) the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and  (c) the Advocate General (i) has appointed and (ii) plans to appoint.

David Mundell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her on 3 June 2010,  Official Report, column 99W.

Carers' Benefits

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to amend the regimes affecting  (a) benefits and  (b) other assistance provided by his Department for carers.

Maria Miller: The Government recognise that the UK's 6 million carers play an indispensable role in looking after friends or family members who need support. It also acknowledges the important role that both cash benefits and employment assistance play, especially in enabling many carers to combine care giving with paid employment.
	We have set out our commitment to simplify the benefit system in order to improve work incentives and encourage responsibility and fairness. We will consider carefully the needs of carers as we develop our thinking on welfare reform. Additionally, over the coming months we will be considering the services that Jobcentre Plus currently provide for carers along with other issues affecting their daily lives such as flexible working.

Poverty: Children

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will bring forward proposals to seek to eliminate child poverty in the lifetime of this Parliament.

Maria Miller: Section 14 of the Coalition document confirms the Government's commitment to ending child poverty in the UK.
	The Child Poverty Act commits Government to meeting targets towards ending child poverty by 2020. The Government must also publish a strategy to show how they will meet these targets by March 2011.
	The latest figures (2008-09) show that 2.8 million children remain in poverty, well off the target set by the previous Government of reducing this to 1.7 million by 2010-11. It is important that over the next 12 months a robust strategy be put in place to put the 2020 commitment back on track.
	In doing so we will want to listen to and consult with a wide range of bodies.
	We believe that the best way to tackle this issue is to address the root causes of poverty. It is only by doing this that we can effectively improve the outcomes for children in a sustainable way.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission in which local authorities electoral registration officers have declared themselves to be underperforming in one or more areas of electoral registration.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that in 2008, 297 Electoral Registration Officers were below at least one performance standard. In 2009, 185 Electoral Registration Officers were below at least one performance standard. A list of the Electoral Registration Officers by local authority has been placed in the Library.
	More information about Electoral Registration Officers' performance against the standards can be found at:
	http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/performance-standards/results_and_analysis

General Election 2010: Young People

Jo Swinson: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what recent estimate the Electoral Commission has made of the number and proportion of people aged 18 to 24 who voted in the last general election.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has made no such estimate. However, Ipsos MORI estimate that 44% of 18 to 24-year-olds voted in the last general election.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 29 March 2010,  Official Report, column 639W, on armed forces: health services, whether the analysis of the extent to which armed forces medical personnel are in breach of the single service harmony guidelines is  (a) complete and  (b) available.

Andrew Robathan: More comprehensive data on medical personnel in breach of individual Service harmony guidelines are now available and are shown in the following tables. However, this information is not available against individual medical trades in the Army. Investigations on whether this will be possible given the nature ofthe data are ongoing.
	 Royal Navy
	
		
			  Branch/Trade  Personnel over Royal Navy harmony guidelines (%) 
			 Dental hygienists 1 
			 Medical assistant 1 
			  Note: Data covers 36 month period up to 1 April 2010. 
		
	
	 Army
	The following table details the number and proportion of Army personnel within the Royal Army Medial Corps and the Queen Alexandra Royal Army Nursing Corps Arms/Services that breach the Individual Harmony Guidelines.
	
		
			  Arm/Service  Personnel over Army harmony guidelines (%) 
			 RAMC 7 
			 QARANC 5 
			  Note: The statistics relate only to trained regular officers and soldiers as at 1 January 2010. 
		
	
	It should be noted that, because some personnel do not record the reason for their separated service on the JPA system, the above figures may not capture all personnel over harmony guidelines.
	 RAF
	
		
			  Branch/Trade  Personnel over RAF harmony guidelines (%) 
			 Medical Officer 5 
			 Nursing Officer 7 
			 Medical Support Officer 9 
			 RAF Medic 4 
			 Nurse 4 
			  Note: Data derived from statistics for 1 January 2010.

Armed Forces: Housing

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what powers the  (a) Ministry of Defence Police and  (b) Royal Military Police have in respect of responding to criminal and anti-social behaviour involving civilians living in or visiting former Ministry of Defence housing at the Colchester Garrison; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: Essex police lead on investigating criminal offences at Colchester garrison as they do across the country. As the Ministry of Defence police have full constabulary powers they can, at the request of Essex police, investigate crimes and antisocial behaviour. The Royal Military Police jurisdiction is limited to offences committed by service personnel.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on recruitment advertisements in national and local media in  (a) England,  (b) Scotland,  (c) Northern Ireland and  (d) Wales in each of the last five years.

Andrew Robathan: The majority of advertising conducted by the Ministry of Defence is targeted at the recruitment of personnel to the armed forces and civil service. In addition, the Department may promote other initiatives such as Armed Forces Day.
	The data is not held or listed against country as requested, but represents UK-wide activity. Information for 2009-10 is not yet available.
	
		
			  Advertising spend 
			  £ million 
			   Print (press and poster)  Online and interactive TV  TV  and cinema  Radio 
			 2004-05 2.0 0.8 15.9 2.3 
			 2005-06 2.5 1.6 15.2 2.2 
			 2006-07 2.0 2.3 10.1 1.3 
			 2007-08 3.7 3.0 18.7 1.6 
			 2008-09 4.9 4.6 17.4 1.5

Departmental Manpower

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many full-time equivalent staff at each Civil Service grade are employed in the private office of each Minister in her Department.

Cheryl Gillan: There are currently 3.63 full-time equivalent (fte) staff in my office and 3.0 fte in the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State's office. The following table shows a breakdown of the ftes by grade:
	
		
			  Number 
			  Grade  SofS office  PUSS office  Total 
			 Senior Civil Service 1.0 - 1.0 
			 Senior Executive Officer - 1.0 1.0 
			 Executive Officer 2.0 2.0 3.0 
			 Admin Officer 0.63 - 0.63 
			 Total 3.63 3.0 5.63

Agriculture: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department allocated for potential disallowances and penalties for claims made against the Rural Payments Agency in each of the last five years.

James Paice: holding answer 2 June 2010
	The following financial provisions were created in the Department's annual accounts in each of the last five years for potential disallowances and late payment penalties arising from the Rural Payments Agency's administration of CAP schemes. These provision figures represent the Department's estimate of what disallowance was expected to arise in future years. In most cases the actual amounts are only known several years later. Please note that the following figure for the 2009-10 financial year has not yet been audited by the NAO.
	
		
			   £000 
			 2005-06 115,750 
			 2006-07 197,812 
			 2007-08 -15,000(1) 
			 2008-09 0 
			 2009-10 58,383 
			 (1) The reduction in 2007-08 was due to a reassessment of potential disallowance upon receipt of further information from the EC.

Departmental Manpower

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her estimate is of the cost to the public purse of proposed reductions in numbers of non-frontline staff in her Department and its agencies.

Richard Benyon: The Chancellor's statement about savings of £6.2 billion across the public sector outlined that DEFRA and its arms length bodies would contribute to £162 million of this saving. As a department we have identified some specific areas where savings will be achieved in addition to the efficiencies being implemented across the Civil Service.
	At present, no decisions have been taken on reductions in the numbers of staff.
	It is therefore not possible to make an estimate of the cost.
	Any staff reductions will be made in line with business need and with a view to providing value for money.

Incinerators

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to bring forward proposals to require incinerator operators to install continuous emission monitoring systems for the detection of dioxins and heavy metals including mercury in flue gas emissions.

Richard Benyon: Monitoring requirements for waste incinerators are set out in the Waste Incineration Directive (2000/76/EC). They are implemented in England and Wales by the Environment Agency or-for very small incinerators-local authorities through the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010.
	Proposals for detailed changes to EU requirements have come from other countries during the negotiation of the proposed industrial emissions directive, now approaching its Second Reading in the European Parliament. It is not yet clear whether these will be incorporated in the finalised directive and become binding upon member states.

Incinerators

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department plans to increase the level of reduction, reuse and recycling of municipal solid waste for the purpose of minimising the amount of such waste which is sent for incineration or landfill.

Richard Benyon: Local authorities are responsible for the management of waste disposal in their areas and they are encouraged to follow the waste hierarchy, in which energy from waste ranks higher than landfill but below waste prevention, re-use, and recycling.

Incinerators

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on mass-burn incineration of municipal solid waste.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA is working to manage waste as far up the waste hierarchy as possible-with energy from waste ranking higher than landfill but below waste prevention, re-use, and recycling.
	There will always be some waste streams that cannot be re-used, recycled or composted and recovering energy from that waste, including by incineration, results in reduced greenhouse gas emissions compared to the alternative of landfill. Recovering energy from waste is complementary to and will not displace waste reduction methods further up the waste hierarchy.

Trade Unions

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to consult trade unions in  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies on cost reduction plans.

Richard Benyon: It is standard practice to consult the Department's trade unions on all matters concerning the contractual terms and conditions of its employees.
	DEFRA including its agencies will use its existing consultation processes to discuss future deficit reduction plans with our trade unions.

Departmental Responsibilities

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the ministerial responsibilities are of  (a) him and  (b) the Minister of State for Northern Ireland.

Owen Paterson: The ministerial responsibilities are as follows:
	 Secretary of State
	overall responsibility for all aspects of the Department's work; and
	relationships with the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly, on the Department's overall strategy, and on the Government's approach to the past, constitutional issues, national security and budgetary priorities.
	 Minister of State
	Leads on human rights, day-to-day national security matters, sponsorship of the Parades Commission, equality and electoral law. He also supports the Secretary of State across the range of the Department's responsibilities in Northern Ireland and in Westminster.

Africa: Peacekeeping Operations

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the UK has provided to the UN mission  (a) MONUC,  (b) MINURCAT,  (c) UNAMID,  (d) UNMIL,  (e) UNMIS and  (f) UNOCI in the last three years.

Henry Bellingham: Over the last three years the UK has contributed between 7.8 and 8.1% towards the costs of UN Peacekeeping. Assessed contributions to UN peacekeeping missions are paid in US Dollars.
	Our sterling costs for those missions covered in the question, over the last three UK financial years, are as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 MONUC (Democratic Republic of Congo) 39,728,447 49,272,772 61,892,423 
			 MINURCAT (Chad/Central African Republic) 5,771,218 18,153,470 29,474,421 
			 UNAMID (Darfur) 37,228,728 55,229,550 68,961,432 
			 UNMIL (Liberia) 25,403,196 25,324,767 25,687,061 
			 UNMIS (Sudan 28,920,533 29,807,091 40,761,445 
			 UNOCI (Cote D'Ivoire) 15,184,311 19,968,023 23,775,607 
		
	
	The figures for 2009-10 are estimates, as we cannot confirm final figures until the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's resource accounts are closed. These figures do not include any bilateral assistance or training to troop contributing countries.

Burma: Elections

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the security situation in Burma in respect of the forthcoming elections.

Jeremy Browne: Burmese elections planned for later this year are set to be held under deeply oppressive conditions. Recently passed election laws and existing security provisions place severe restrictions on campaigning and participation in the process. Over 2,100 political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, remain under detention, and arbitrary arrests continue. The regime has rejected offers of international election observers. In such circumstances, elections will not have legitimacy or international credibility. Tensions between the military government and Burma's ethnic ceasefire groups have also increased, as they resist the regime's attempt to absorb their armed wings into the Burmese army.

Departmental Manpower

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his estimate is of the cost to the public purse of proposed reductions in numbers of non-frontline staff in his Department and its agencies.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office expects to achieve all its currently anticipated reductions in UK civil service staff through a recruitment freeze and natural wastage. These would not incur compensation costs.

Iran: Sanctions

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take to tackle the shipment of weapons and funds from Iran to  (a) Afghanistan,  (b) Iraq,  (c) Lebanon and  (d) Gaza in the next six months; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Alistair Burt: Iranian support in the form of weapons, funding and training to the Taleban, Iraqi militia groups, Hezbollah, Hamas and other Palestinian Rejectionist Groups is unacceptable. It further undermines international confidence in the Iranian regime's intentions, and is at odds with the regime's claim to the international community and its own people, that it supports stability in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
	The UK has worked with and will continue to work with International Security Assistance Force to interdict shipments of weapons to the Taliban, including from Iran. We will work with international partners and in the UN to urge Iran to comply with international law, including UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR). Iran's transfers of weapons to the groups mentioned are contrary to UNSCRs 1737, 1747, 1803, 1701 (Hezbollah) and 1860 (Gaza).

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the compatibility of Israel's blockade of Gaza with the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Alistair Burt: Although there is no permanent physical Israeli presence in Gaza, given the significant control that Israel has over Gaza's borders, airspace and territorial waters, Israel retains obligations under the fourth Geneva convention as an occupying power.
	The UK has been clear that the current restrictions are unacceptable and counterproductive and it is the people of Gaza who suffer from them. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made this clear in his conversation with the Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. We will continue to work with international partners and press the Israeli government to allow unfettered access of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will press the EU to raise the restrictions placed by the government of Israel on access for humanitarian aid and reconstruction materials into Gaza at the next discussion of the Middle East Quartet; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made clear in his public statement on 5 June 2010, we continue to press the Government of Israel to lift Gaza's closure. The Foreign Secretary is also discussing these issues urgently with our international partners-including during his ongoing visits to EU capitals. We welcome Quartet discussion of these issues.

Nigeria: Politics and Government

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's most recent assessment is of the security situation in Nigeria, with particular reference to Jos; and whether he has made representations to the government of Nigeria on that situation.

Henry Bellingham: The security situation in Jos remains fragile following several disturbing outbreaks of violence since January. We have conveyed our concerns at a senior level to the Government of Nigeria and the Plateau State Government. We have made clear publicly that those who have committed atrocities should be held accountable. We believe a way forward must be found for the communities of Jos to live together in a spirit of reconciliation and dialogue. We continue to work with our international partners to support a long lasting peaceful solution to the intercommunal violence in Jos.

Occupied Territories: Housing

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had recent discussions with his Israeli counterpart on the proposed demolition of houses in East Jerusalem.

Alistair Burt: I would like to make clear, with few exceptions, house demolitions in occupied territory, including in East Jerusalem, are in direct contravention of article 53 of the fourth Geneva convention.
	Evictions of Palestinian families and the destruction of Palestinian homes and property are also deeply unhelpful to the wider Middle East Peace Process.
	Both my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have reiterated, to their Israeli counterparts, the importance we attach to making progress towards a two state solution.

Trade Unions

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to consult trade unions in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies on cost reduction plans.

Alistair Burt: Discussion of how the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will meet its current savings targets is underway. We will share relevant information with the trade unions and consult as necessary.

Alcoholic Drinks: Prices

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she plans to take to prevent the sale of alcohol below cost price; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: We are determined to tackle the sale of alcohol below cost price, and clamp down on irresponsible sales where this has been shown to impact on crime and disorder. The Government are considering the detail of what "below cost selling" constitutes and how the ban will be enforced. We will work closely with other Government Departments including BIS and the OFT, as well as representatives of the licensed trade, including the supermarkets, to determine how best to effectively implement this commitment, without unduly adding a bureaucratic burden for businesses.

Aviation: Taxation

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to implement his proposal to replace  (a) air passenger duty with a per-plane duty and what account the proposed new scheme will take of air freight movements and  (b) routes for which alternative forms of transport which have less environmental impact are available.

Justine Greening: I have been asked to reply.
	The coalition agreement includes a switch from a per passenger to a per plane duty; the Government are considering options for doing so, and welcome the views of interested parties.
	Announcements on tax policy will be made in the usual way.

Crossrail Line

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Government's plans are for the future of Crossrail.

Theresa Villiers: As we made clear in the coalition agreement, the Government support Crossrail. The project will support and enable growth-now, and in the future, in London and across the UK as a whole. At the same time, we need to ensure that every pound invested in the project is well spent and that the scheme remains affordable. Crossrail Ltd. is focused on optimising value for money through effective management of risk and best value engineering solutions to achieve this goal.

Crossrail Line: Finance

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which private-sector organisations have committed financing to Crossrail in  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) each of the two subsequent financial years; and how much each has committed.

Theresa Villiers: Private sector commitments to Crossrail include a number of commercial agreements with private sector companies to provide contributions to Crossrail, given the benefits which will flow to businesses as a result of the scheme.
	There are specific agreements with Canary Wharf Group (for £150 million), City of London (for £350 million), BAA (for £230 million), and Berkeley Homes Group (to construct the Woolwich Station box) as well as wider contributions being made through Business Rate Supplements, the planned Community Infrastructure Levy and Section 106 developer contributions.
	Construction of the Canary Wharf Crossrail station is currently under way and good progress is being made. It is envisaged, on the current rate of construction, that the £150 million Canary Wharf Group contribution to Crossrail will have been put in to the project by June 2011.
	The other contributions are not due within the next three financial years and are subject to conditions being met which are set out in the specific agreements.

Departmental Redundancy Pay

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his most recent estimate is of the annual cost to his Department of redundancy payments for  (a) front line and  (b) other staff employed by (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies.

Philip Hammond: The Department for Transport has introduced restrictions on recruitment in order to reduce the numbers of staff in non-frontline roles, with exceptions for frontline staff and business critical positions with appropriate control measures.
	There are no departmental or agency specific redundancy programmes and the cost of capturing this information for individual cases is available only at disproportionate cost.
	The cost to the Department of redundancy and other exit payments this year will be disclosed in our Annual Report and Resource Accounts for 2010-11.

Official Cars

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many civil servants are entitled to use the Government Car Service; and how many will be entitled to use the service in the future.

Michael Penning: Civil servants use public transport wherever possible although in some circumstances they can use a "taxi"-style service provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency, bookable on demand. Four senior civil servants currently have allocated Government cars and drivers, three of whom have notified their intention to cancel existing arrangements.

Public Expenditure

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the breakdown is of the planned £683 million reduction in his Department's expenditure.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 2 June 2010
	I have agreed to contribute £683 million to the £6 billion of in-year budget reductions sought in the emergency budget. The breakdown of these reductions is as follows:
	Local authority grants -A £309 million reduction in the Department's specific grants to local authorities.
	Transport for London -I am consulting with the Mayor on a proposed £108 million reduction in the Department's grant to Transport for London.
	Network Rail will reduce spend by £100 million.
	The Department is also making £112 million savings in its direct expenditure through a range of measures including a recruitment freeze, reduction in discretionary spend, and re-negotiation of contracts with major suppliers to reduce their cost.
	It has also been necessary to defer £54 million that would have been spent on a small number of lower priority rolling stock and highway improvement schemes.

Railways: Overcrowding

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is for reducing overcrowding on trains.

Theresa Villiers: We are assessing our policy for managing crowding on the rail network in the light of likely spending constraints over the next few years. Proposals by the previous administration for the purchase of additional carriages will be reappraised and assessed for affordability. It is also the Government's aim to improve efficiency in procurement practices in relation to rolling stock.

Children: Exercise

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how much his Department has spent on tai-chi programmes in schools in the last three years for which figures are available; which five companies or charities have received the largest sums in such funding; and how much each has received;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the value for money of his Department's expenditure on provision of tai-chi courses.

Nick Gibb: Neither the Department nor its predecessor has spent any money directly on Tai-Chi programmes in schools in the last three years. Any Tai-Chi programmes in schools would be funded directly by the schools themselves. We do not collect data relating to the value for money of schools provision of Tai-Chi for their pupils.

Care Homes

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will undertake a review into the funding and provision of residential care for the elderly for the purposes of assessing the merits of different mechanisms for allocating the funding of such care.

Paul Burstow: "Freedom, Fairness, Responsibility", the Coalition's Programme for Government set out plans to establish a commission which will consider how to ensure responsible and sustainable funding for long term care. The Commission will be established as soon as possible and report within a year.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist in-patient  (a) drug and  (b) alcohol detoxification beds were available on the latest date for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: Data on the total number of in-patient detoxification beds available in England across national health service and independent sector settings is not available centrally.
	However, local drug partnerships will have information on their arrangements for inpatient detoxification, including specialist treatment centres. Contact details for each partnership can be found via the Home Office website:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100419081707/http://drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/dat/directory/

Homeopathy

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued on the prescribing of homeopathic treatments on the NHS.

Anne Milton: The issue mentioned were all raised by the Science and Technology Committee's report Evidence Check 2: Homeopathy. The Government are currently considering the report, including the issue mentioned, and will respond in due course.

Mental Health Services: Children

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish his Department's guidance to commissioners of child and adolescent mental health services of the services they are required to provide in respect of the availability of 24 hour care to meet urgent mental health needs in order to meet the criteria for  (a) national indicator 51, proxy measure 3 and  (b) vital signs indicator 12.

Paul Burstow: The guidance to commissioners on completing the Vital Signs Monitoring Return asks
	"Are arrangements in place to ensure that 24 hour cover is available to meet the urgent mental health needs of children and young people and specialist mental health assessments undertaken within 24 hours or during the next working day where indicated?"
	The guidance recognises that there will be a variety of ways of providing this provision. In most cases it will involve informing possible referral points such as accident and emergency departments, general practice out of hours services, police, of appropriate contact information for on call Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services specialist staff.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will visit Gaza to assess the humanitarian situation as a matter of urgency.

Andrew Mitchell: I am extremely concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and hope to visit as soon as possible to assess the conditions for myself.
	Officials from my Department are closely monitoring events on the ground, including through regular visits to Gaza. I also met this week with John Ging, Head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)'s operations on Wednesday 2 June, who briefed me in detail on the current situation.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 4 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1708W, on the electoral register, what the outcomes were of the 2007 financial information survey; and what period elapsed between the survey sampling exercise and the production of the final report.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	The Electoral Commission has informed me that they will be publishing their report into the cost of electoral administration covering the 2007-08 and 2008-09 financial years in early June 2010. The deadline for the survey covering the 2007-08 financial year was 31 July 2008 and that for the 2008-09 financial year was 31 July 2009. After this information was collated, the data were verified, analysed and checked and the findings are to be published shortly. The information will be placed on the Commission's website when it is published.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 24 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 243-4W, on the electoral register: fines, which local authorities have initiated proceedings for failure to complete and return an annual registration.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	This information is not collected centrally. Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have a statutory duty to maintain a complete and accurate electoral register. It is for individual EROs to decide on what action to take in relation to non-completion of an individual annual canvass form.

Huntercombe Young Offender Institution

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the timetable is for changes to the future status of Huntercombe Young Offenders Institution; and what consultation he plans to have with  (a) residents local to the institution and  (b) its staff.

Crispin Blunt: The de-commissioning of HMYOI Huntercombe has commenced and is taking place over the coming weeks to ensure a safe and smooth transition for the existing prisoner population. A project group has been set up and is meeting to consider the essential work to be completed in the establishment in regard to staffing profiles, budgets, contractual requirements and any structural and physical adjustments deemed necessary prior to re-role as a Category C Male prison at the end of 2010.
	Senior NOMS officials will meet local residents to reassure them about the re-role in the near future. Once final decisions are made in regard to the proposals under discussion, full consultation will take place with all stakeholders, including all staff and local residents.

Capital Gains Tax

Grahame Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the Government's proposed changes to capital gains tax, with particular reference to the effect on the housing market; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: We have received a number of representations on the proposals to reform capital gains tax. In line with coalition agreement the Government is seeking ways of taxing non-business capital gains at rates similar or close to those applied to income, with generous exemptions for entrepreneurial business activities.

Child Trust Fund

Kevan Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate has been made of the number of children  (a) in each region,  (b) in each socio-economic group and  (c) nationwide who will be born in the first 12 months after abolition of the child trust fund.

Mark Hoban: To contribute to the reduction of the Budget deficit, the Government intend to reduce and then stop all Government contributions into child trust funds. It is intended that vouchers to open new accounts will no longer be issued for children born from 1 January 2011. Existing accounts will continue to operate as before. From 2011-12 onwards, the funding allocated to disability payments into the child trust funds of disabled children will be redirected to provide additional respite care. Every pound paid into this scheme there is an extra pound of public debt. By ending Government payments into the scheme we also save the £5 million annual cost of administering it.
	The Government's current estimates of the number of children per region and nationwide predicted to be born in the 12 months from 1 January 2011 are tabled as follows. Data on numbers per socio-economic group are not available. All figures are Official Statistics published by the Office for National Statistics.
	
		
			  Projected population of children born in 2011 by country and region 
			  Region or country  Number (thousand) 
			 North East 30 
			 North West 86 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 66 
			 East Midlands 53 
			 West Midlands 70 
			 East 70 
			 London 126 
			 South East 100 
			 South West 56 
			   
			 England 657 
			 Wales 35 
			 Scotland 58 
			 Northern Ireland 25 
			   
			 United Kingdom 775 
			  Source: Office for National Statistics 2008-based.

Public Expenditure: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his announcement of 24 May 2010, if he will list the identifiable non-devolved public expenditure savings for Wales.

Danny Alexander: On 24 May the Government announced the Welsh Assembly Government's share of the £6.2 billion savings, which was £187 million together with consequential of recycled savings amounting to £24 million.
	It is for the Welsh Assembly Government to decide whether to defer the savings until next year.
	Any savings impacting on Wales in respect of savings made by Government Departments in non-devolved areas of spending are a matter for the relevant Government Departments to decide.

Public Finance

Richard Harrington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to reduce the budget deficit.

Justine Greening: The Coalition Agreement states that
	"deficit reduction, and continuing to ensure economic recovery, is the most urgent issue facing Britain".
	The Chancellor has announced the first step in tackling the deficit, setting out details of how to save over £6 billion from spending during this financial year. The fastest and most collegiate spending review in recent history.
	These savings have been found by cutting waste and low value programmes across Government. The majority of these savings will be used to reduce the deficit this year.
	At the Emergency Budget on 22 June, the Chancellor will set out a comprehensive plan to accelerate reduction of the UK's deficit over the course of this Parliament.

EcovertFM

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which Minister in his Department has lead responsibility for monitoring his Department's contract with Ecovert FM.

Francis Maude: As Minister for the Cabinet Office I am responsible for monitoring the EcovertFM contract.